A mountain of human epidemiological data demonstrates that physical activity and fitness correlate with a reduced incidence of age-related disease, a slower age-related decline of function. Adding to that, researchers here show that cumulative physical activity over the long term correlates with slowed loss of cognitive function. While human data can only reliably produce correlations, animal studies convincingly demonstrate that exercise does in fact improve long-term health. It remains one of the most robust interventions for slowing the aging process, the bar to beat when developing novel therapies to treat aging.
Given the lack of effective pharmacological interventions for dementia patients, modifying risk factors associated with dementia has become a critical area of research. Current evidence shows that physical activity (PA) has emerged as one of the most promising protective measures against all-cause dementia, as well as Alzheimer’s disease (AD), vascular dementia, and Parkinson’s disease. PA has the potential to reduce dementia risks by 2%. Prior to the dementia onset, a growing body of research has consistently shown that higher levels of PA are associated with better cognitive function, a slower rate of cognitive decline, and a lower risk of cognitive impairment.
First, PA has been shown to improve cognitive reserve, the brain’s ability to adapt and compensate in the face of changes due to age, pathology, or insult without developing cognitive impairment. Besides, PA improves blood flow to the brain, reduces inflammation, which improves brain function, and assists in maintaining cognitive performance. These mechanisms suggest that PA not only plays a critical role in sustaining cognitive health but may also have a preventive effect on cognitive decline throughout the aging process.
While some evidence suggests that increased PA may help delay cognitive decline, findings from a randomized clinical trial reported no significant improvement following a six-month PA intervention. To the best of our knowledge, there is still a lack of robust evidence on the association of sustained, long-term engagement in PA with cognitive decline over time for older age. Thus, this study aims to fill this gap in the literature by examining the longitudinal association between cumulative PA over time and subsequent cognitive decline in cognitively healthy adults aged 50 years and older.
This study included 13,450 cognitively healthy participants from the Health and Retirement Study, 2004-2020, with a mean follow-up duration of 11.06 years. Higher cumulative PA was associated with delayed declines in global cognition, memory, and executive function, and such protective benefits grew over the 16-year study period. Longer PA engagement was associated with progressively delayed cognitive decline. We conclude that PA engagement over long timeframes may better maintain cognitive performance.
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